Back for picture or mirror frames



(No Model.)

0. SGHMITT. v BACK FOR PICTURE 0R MIRROR FRAMES.

NO. 555,186. Patented Feb. 25, 1896 C A .7 A G M INVENTOR.

Ta \az/ FIG. 4.

WTNEssEs.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S CI'IMITT, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

BACK FOR PICTURE OR MIRROR FRAMES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,186, dated. February 25, 1896.

Application filed May 14,1895. Serial No. 549,248. (No model.)

T 0 all whovn it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES SCHMITT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Backs for Picture or Mirror Frames, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a back for covering framed pictures, mirrors, and passe-partout, which can be cheaplyconstructed,'readily adjusted to the depth of the stretcher, picture, or mirror holder and quickly applied to the frame, so as to protect the picture in the frame, exclude dust, and hermetically seal the picture, mirror, or other article framed.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be referred to and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similar reference-letters wherever they occur throughout the various views, Figure 1 is an inside plan view of my improved back ready to be applied to the frame after the object is framed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the back of the frame after the backing has been applied. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the frame, taken upon line as of Fig. 2. Fig. at is a detail view, upon an enlarged scale, taken transversely through the back, but the corner-inclosures are not applied, with the section-lines omitted for clearness.

As represented in the drawings, the blank shown in inverted plan view, Fig. 1, is preferably formed of strawboard, pasteboard, or other strong fibrous material. The center portion A, which should be about the size of the stretcher, passe-partout, or other picture or glass holder, is left in its original position. This is surrounded by a border A, the corners of which are cut out at a into the plain portion A of the back. The border A is scored upon both sides about half-way through the pasteboard back at a and a the scores a being upon the outside and the scores 0. be ing upon the inside of the border A. These scores alternate on opposite sides of the border, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4, so that when the border is bent down it may assume an angle in a right line, as shown in Fig. 3, or may be, if desired, shaped in a curve or ogee form to conform to the shape of the stretcher or picture holder B. The score a which bounds theplain surface A, is upon the outside of the back and underneath it. Upon the opposite side are pasted strips a, of muslin, parchment-paper, or other strong fibrous material, to give strength and firmly unite the part A and the border portions A when they are turned down over the picture-holding member B and glued or otherwise cemented to the frame 0.

After the blank back has been cut out to the form shown in Fig. 1 and the border scored as above described, the reinforcing inner strips a" are first cemented on the illside of the blank directly under the score for the preliminary bend (F. The corner-closures D are then cemented to the inside of the back A, overlapping the border A, as clearly inclicated in Fig. 1. The part (1 of the cornerclosure is cemented to the back, and the flaps cl (which are loose) have their inner faces gummed, so that when the back is to be secured in place the flaps cl are moistened and turned to the position shown at the upper right-hand corner of Fig. 1.

I have shown in Fig. 1, upon the lower cor ners, the flaps (1 turned back to the position they occupy when the backs are nested together for shipment. Upon the upper lefthand corner I have shown the flap in the vertical position, at right angles to the face of the back, and upon the right-hand corner I have shown the flap turned down to cover the notched corner in the position it would occupy after being moistened and preparatory to securing the back upon the pictureframe. I design to make the backs, as inclicated in Fig. 1, with the corner-closures secured to the part A, and partially, if desired, to the border A, leaving the loose gummed flap to be folded back, as shown at the lower part of the frame in Fig. 1, or the upper righthand corner thereof, as may be desired.

To apply my back to a framed picture, as indicated in Fig. 3, (and its application to a mirror or other article will be understood by those skilled in the art from an examination of the drawings) the picture E is first secured over the stretcher B. The picture is then placed in the frame 0 and secured in the ordinary manner, which is usually by tacking or bradding the stretcher to the frame. A coating of glue or other cement is then put upon the back of the frame, the flaps cl moistened and turned to the position shown at the upper right-hand corner of Fig. 1, the back placed with the part A over the stretcher and the border A bent around the stretcher and its outer margin pressed down upon the glue or cement upon the back of the frame. The same operation cements the flaps to the border and makes aperfeetly dust-proof back for the frame. The alternate scores upon the opposite sides of the border permit it to conform to any particular shape of stretcher or picture-holder, and the scores through the border adapt the same size back A to varying widths of frame-moldings. For instance, if a Very narrow molding is employed it is an easy matter for the operator to paste or cement the border upon the frame and by means of the scoring tear away the surplus width of the border.

It is common to cover the backs of framed pictures with a thin sheet of paper stretched over the back and pasted down upon the frame; but it requires a skilled workman to properly cover the backs of framed pictures in this manner, and it frequently happens that the heads of the brads 0r tacks cut through the thin paper if they have not been properly set, and even when properly set the stretcher, from shrinkage or other cause, splinters or has uneven or irregular surfaces, which cut through the ordinary paper back. My back being made of plain stiff strawboard or other pasteboard, which is cheaper than the material ordinarily used for backing, is so shaped that an unskilled workman can readily apply it in place, and there is no possibility of any brad-heads or imperfections in the stretcher cutting through the back.

I have shown the border scored upon opposite sides, the scores upon one side being the same in number and intermediate the scores upon the opposite side, in order that the back may be made to neatly conform to any shape of picture-holder; but the relative position of the score-lines may be varied and other mere mechanical changes made without varying the principle of my invention. For instance, it would be an immaterial modification of my invention to omit the corner -closures and paste-closures over thecorner-openings after the back had been placed in position and the outer edge of the border cemented down upon the back of the picture-frame C.

lVhat I claim is new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A back for picture and similar frames, formed of heavy strawboard or other fibrous material, having the central portion, A, of a size to bear upon the pictureholder, surrounding scored borders having their corners cut away at, a, as shown, and the cornerclosures, D, having their inner faces gummed, the inner ends, (I, being cemented to the central portion, overlapping the scored border portion, and having loose flaps, adapted, when moistened, to form the corner-closures when the borders are folded around the picture-holder and cemented to the frame, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the frame, C, rabbeted at the back to receive the holder or stretcher, B, the holder or stretcher to fit said rabbet, and the back having a centralportion, A, to conform to the shape of the holder or stretcher, the scored borders, A, formed integral with the said back and adapted to fold down around the holderor stretcher and bear with their outer edges upon the frame, the corner-closures, D, having their inner ends, (1, cemented to the back and their flaps gummed to be attached to the under side of the border when the same is folded down, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a back or cover for picture or other frames,the combination of the central portion, A, the border, A, having its inner and outer faces alternately scored partly through, and having its corners cut away at, a, as shown, the reinforcing-strips, a overlapping and comented to the outer edge of the central portion and inner edge of the border, and the corner-closures, D, having their inner ends cemented to the central portion and overlapping the border, and having their loose gummed flaps, d, to close the corners when the back is folded around the holder and cemented to the frame, substantially as shown and described.

CHARLES SOHMITT.

Vitnesses:

GEO. J. MURRAY, EMMA Lvronn. 

